Honda is going all out to claim victory in Japan’s round of the FIM Endurance World Championship for a second year running next month (4-6 August).
It has listed 10 supported teams as it pushes to win the 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race with Xavi Vierge a notable new recruit for 2023.
Vierge has been called up to race for Team HRC in round three of the 2023 EWC season onboard a CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP fitted with Bridgestone tyres. He will join forces with Japan’s Takumi Takahashi and fellow Spaniard Iker Lecuona for the ever-spectacular and ever-challenging EWC contest.
Along with Tetsuta Nagashima, Takahashi and Lecuona scored Honda’s first Suzuka 8 Hours victory when they triumphed for Team HRC last August. But with Nagashima in the process of regaining full fitness following a foot injury, Vierge will bring experience from the FIM Superbike World Championship to the EWC.
“This will be the first time for me to ride in the Suzuka 8 Hours,” said 26-year-old Vierge. “I am very happy to be able to ride as a rider in the same stage where so many riders have created legends. Iker Lecuona is my team-mate in WSBK and Takumi Takahashi is a great rider who has won many 8 Hours races in the past. I believe that we can win this race by working hard three riders together.”
XAVI VIERGE: “I am very happy to be able to ride as a rider in the same stage where so many riders have created legends”
Like Vierge, Lecuona races in WSBK, while Takahashi is competing in the MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship ST1000 division this season. A fifth Suzuka 8 Hours victory next month would put him joint top on the list of winners of the Suzuka 8 Hours.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France, which won the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship, will continue its title defence in the Suzuka 8 Hours with riders Mike Di Meglio (France), Josh Hook (Australia) and Alan Techer (France). Meanwhile, Honda Viltaïs Racing, the winner of the 2022 EWC season-deciding Bol d’Or, will count on the skills of Florian Alt (Germany), Leandro Mercado (Argentina) and Steven Odendaal (South Africa).
“Suzuka is one of my favourites,” said Hook, 30. “Home of TSR and Honda it’s a track that I really like and our bike generally performs quite well. The team has been doing a good job this year so far and the mechanics have been amazing. I’m really looking forward to coming to Suzuka, seeing all the Japanese fans and racing there again.”
The 44th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race is due to start at 11h30 local time on Sunday 6 August.
For more info check out our dedicated Endurance World Championship News page Endurance World Championship
or visit the official Endurance World Championship website fimewc.com
